Endeavor
A.S.V. Endeavor was the name of an aerial castle-ship existing during the New Age. Constructed by goblin slaves at the same time as Castle Torlynn, some time in unctual year 3484, the craft was hidden beneath the main keep of the castle. It was commissioned by the pagan mages of Torlynn, who may have intended the aero-fortress as a means of emergency escape from the castle. Design and Operation The castle-ship was driven by a hybrid magic-science engine. It had three main tanks to provide the engine with combustible fuel. Controls to run the craft existed on both the quarterdeck and down in the engineering compartment. The engineering compartment had an elaborate gearworks system that governed the mechanical operation of the craft, but it also required magic to operate. Furthermore, the craft had been enchanted in such a manner that the mood of the crew directly affected the operation of the castle-ship. Crew members who felt good about their mission would likely proceed without incident, but crew members who exhibited bad feelings would result in the ship failing to fly. It was speculated this might have been a precaution against theft; anyone trying to steal the craft might feel guilty or worried, and this would negatively affect the ship's operation. The castle-ship consisted of a top quarterdeck and five more lower decks. Its facilities included a galley, a mess hall, personal quarters for each of the crew, the captain's cabin, the brig (which had four cells), and two restrooms. Among items on display included a suit of knight's armor. Many implements were bolted to the floor, such as the dining table and its twenty chairs. The craft was armed with a complement of twenty-four cannons, twelve on each side of the ship. The castle-ship also had a cargo bay and a small auxiliary landing craft. This cabriolet was intended to allow passengers and crew to easily board and disembark the ship even while it remained in flight. The Veil of Souls The craft remained underground and largely forgotten until the destruction of Torlynn Castle in 3889. In 3894, however, the craft was rediscovered while Jenna Saiquois and the head of Syzygy were exploring the ruins of the castle. After they teamed up with a goblin scavenger named Guzzler, they were able to successfully crack the combination to the locked door that would allow access, and the ship was launched. With Jenna temporarily in command, the small crew headed to the Badlands to rescue their companions who were stranded there within an ancient laboratory. After rescuing them, the group designated crew assignments, with "Four" Wheeler in command, and used the ship to begin searching for fragments of the fabled keystone scepter. After acquiring several of the crystals, the craft was attacked in mid-air by Dreadnaught. After several collisions and lightning strikes, the crew elected to flee, plunging into the waters of the South Oceanic sea to escape. The castle-ship sunk to the botom of the water. After waiting for the dragon to leave, the ship resurfaced, but it required repairs as a result of the intense water pressure. There was initially some dissent among the crew after Jax was brought on board, until Mirabel offered to give Jax her alloted share of whatever spoils were acquired. Endeavor was pulled towards Ersatz Island by the wizard Broccus, who tried to warn its crew about the dangers of reassembling the scepter. Later, a scorned Jax instructed Syzygy to sabotage the ship by dumping all of its fuel. The crew was unaware of this until they arrived at the volcano inside the Forgotten Basin for a confrontation with Deorwynn Fletcher. In desperation, the crew was forced to crash-land into the magma surrounding the volcano, dumping their storehouse of gold to provide a softer landing. The ship ended up becoming halfway submerged within the magma as it solidified. Endeavor ''was grounded. Trivia ''A.S.V. is an abbreviation that likely stands for Aerial Sailing Vessel. Mirabel Miller was the crew member who coined the term Endeavor. The castle-ship was evidently intended for a crew of about twenty. The ship had been equipped with twenty sleeping bunks, and its dining table seated twenty as well. Behind the Scenes The name of the Endeavor was intended to partially evoke the name of the'' Enterprise, '' the fictional starship from the ''Star Trek ''television series and films. Category:Airships Category:Castles Category:Vehicles Category:Magical Objects